Bangladeshi vessel carrying fly ash sank in Muriganga river after hitting sandbar

A Bangladeshi ship transporting fly ash from Budge Budge began to sink in the Muriganga river after hitting a sandbar, an Indian official said on Monday.

The ship was bringing its cargo to Bangladesh when the incident occurred in  West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, says Telegraph India.

The vessel will be towed to Bangladesh after evacuation of the cargo, the official said.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) officials stated that all crew members of the Bangladeshi vessel are safe and currently at the Sagar police station. The process of evacuating the fly ash cargo is underway so that the vessel can be towed back to the neighbouring country.

"The accident took place on the night of February 13 when the vessel was heading back to Bangladesh with fly ash. The evacuation process is now being carried out," IWAI regional head GJ Reddy said.

Meanwhile, a video shared by a panchayat member from Ghoramara Island showed the sinking Bangladeshi vessel allegedly dumping fly ash into the Muriganga river.

Local fishermen, who depend on the river for their livelihood, expressed concerns over contamination of the river.

A Kolkata Port official said that no port-bound ships operate on that channel, so there is no threat to port operations.

Sandbars often cause damage to vessels, and such incidents mostly occur at night due to navigational constraints.